BV 2805 
.B7 L33 
Copy 1 



»?***- 



BV 2805 
•B7 L33 
Copy 1 




M, LATHAM'S REPORT 




Boston, Dec. 2nd, 1852. 
veral years past I have spent much of my time on the Sab- 
among thejrish population, for the purpose of improving their 

moral condition. 

I first began my operations in Cambridgeport. I visited them at 
their houses and read the Bible with them as often as permission 
was granted ; when otherwise, I read to them in the open field ; 
many of the children would assemble around me and receive in- 
struction, to such I gave Books, Tracts, and religious newspapers^ 
which were received by many and read, and I have reason to be- 
lieve them instrumental in doing much good. 

By this method with the blessing of God they ceased playing in 
the fields which they had considered it their priviledge thus to do, 
also out-door labor on the Sabbath was discontinued. 

I wish here to mention one foct which sho/ws the over-ruling 
providence of God. In this plaice the>re are two Rope walks, in 
one of these diere w^s work aiafcl card pla'ying frequently, on the 
Sabbath, as lywas told. I remonstrated against such doings or evil 
conduct, and told them .if they continued thus to do, evil would 
befall them. They would not be deterred but locked themselves 
in. The door, being fast I went away with my Books. I think in 
less than a year from that time the fiery elements lifted this Rope 
walk toward heaven, whilst the other*$t&nds a living monument of 
God's protection. In Septemb* 185^ I commenced my opera- 
tions in Boston among the Irish of Fort Hill, at that time many 
kinds of recreation were practised by the children on the Sabbath, 
such as playing marbles, playing top, pitching cents, jumping rope, 
carrying a flag on a pole, playing hocky, &c. On one Sabbath 
more than thirty children were making sport of a drunkard in Oli- 
ver street. In some of the houses I found them playing Cards; 
such vile conduct was truly grievous to behold. I mentioned to 
one of the day police that a remedy for the present evil was possi- 
ble, and I would try an experiment. 
/ 



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x oegan oy reading the Bible as I had done in Cambridgeport 
but they ridiculed me and spoke against my Bible. Then I resort- 
ed to Books and Tracts, exposing the great sin of such conduct 
on the Sabbath ; but some of them suffered martyrdom on the spot 
with shouts from the windows, others were taken and a quid of to- 
bacco wrapped up in them and returned, others were spittle stained 
and politely returned. I took it all in good part. They would 
knock off my hat into the dirt, and throw decayed vegetables at me 
and pieces of brick and stones, by way of insult; at one time a 
fire cracker was put into my coat pocket when discharged burnt my 
clothes. Thus I was basely insulted, and not having any to be- 
friend me I bore it patiently. One man said I had no right to be 
there, and wished the police to order me off the ground, if not he- 
would take them to wipe his razor on, and other improper words. 
But in a few weeks he confessed he was wrong, that he had beer 
reading them privately and found them all good and useful for hh 
children, and unless moral instruction was given them in childhooc 
they would be hard to govern in youth and riper years; he is nov 
my best friend and takes them with delight. Andrew Carland sai< 
to me a few months since, that what I was doing for the Irish peo 
pie was the noblefc^cjeed that could be performed for their benefit 
wished me to persevere andjiot dve up my Sunday operations, "fo 
(he said) all our children need fhetEooks an4paDers now given t- 
them." A person met me in South Boston and greatly desired m 
to come over there on the Sabbath and bring my Books, for, sai 
she, "my old man misses you very much since he left Fort Hill. 
A little boy met me at the Worcester depot, said he was going int' 
the country to remain, and thanked me for all the books that I ha ■; 
given him on Fort Hill, and,-?aidUie, "I wish you had one now.'' 
I gave him the Child's Paper he then left me much pleased, thi 
was on a week day. A woman in her store on Fort Hill said t< 
me a few months since, there is quite a change in the conduct ol 
the people for the better on the Sabbath now than what was twelv 
months since, and if you continue your operations twelve month 
longer there will be a greater change still. I could mention man; 
facts equally encouraging, but the change is visible to all who have 
knbwri Fort Hill for the past six years. The first six months I wa 
v treated and although four meii :\ere stationed there on the 



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iabbath to promote order, I had little or no help from either <# 
iem to protect me notwithstanding what I was doing was lessen- 
ng the Police duties fifty per cent. Be it remembered however I 
ensure them not, as they are not authorized to aid in this matter. 
' t gives me great pleasure now to see such order in the streets on 
le Sabbath, with an increasing desire to read, and a call for good 
ooks and papers, as follows : have you the Christian Witness and 
Jhurch Advocate, The Child's Paper, or the Youth's Companion, 
x the Youth's Penny Gazette, The Young Reaper, the Tract call- 
. d the Poor Man's House Repaired, Fool's Pence, The Wonderful 
Escape, The Ox Sermon, many others too numerous to mention. 
>Vith many books of a moral character. Rebuking the profane 
."wearer, the slanderer, the miser, the spendthrift, the vulgar and 
f ambler, thief and the liar, libertine and drunkard, Sabbath break- 
ng, dishonesty, at the same time advocating Justice, Truth and 
Temperance, and love with all its cardinal^virtues. Recommending 
eading Ephesians iv : 30,31; Colossians iii : 12th verse, and so 
n. To obtain suitable matter for reading on the Sabbath, has 
een quite a tax on my time through the week, for more than a year 
ast. Every thing pertaining to controversy has been my wish to 
void. Thus 1 have omitted reading much of the news of the day 
n order to gain time to select reading matter for the Sabbath dis- 
tribution on Fort Hill. I think playing in the streets on Lord's 
Jay can be broken up, and card playing on the Sabbath can be 
•iured. Last Sabbath I called at a room where both sexes were 
laying. 1 said I should not then enter complaint against them, 
jfcifficient was it for me to know that what they were doing was en- 
tered in the high court of Heaven and soon would be exposed to 
&n assembled world. I said I was sorry to see holy time wasted in 
such a manner. They would soon find that "time wasted was sui- 
cide where more than blood is spilt" Or like Voltaire offering 
Ifialf his fortune if the Doctor would save his life six months. The 
jboctor said he could not live six weeks, then he said I am going 
o Hell and you will go with me. I gave them the Tract contain- 
i rig the account of his death. They put away the Cards. I then 
elated one or two facts relative to card playing and left the room. 
Jany of the Irish are given to card playing. Why is it so ? Is it 
iecause they are more depraved by nature than other men ? I say 
ot ! Is it not because they have been neglected and oppressed in 



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their native land by the Iron hand of British despotism instead oi 
educating them? At the great fire on Fort Hill, their goods am. 
furniture covering most of the mall, I saw not a Bible in the midst, 
but when a bureau drawer opened then I saw the pack of cards 
Card playing leads to'intemperance, quarrelling, and fighting whicl 
makes work for the police and lawyers, an^ lawsuits, poverty, ha 
tred and revenge which sometimes end in fires and murder. M) 
object in giving out books and religious papers is to check these 
growing evils in our midst. To accomplish any amount of good, 
requires patience and perseverance, humanity, ivisdom and some 
money. I have been more fatigued after performing this duty on 
Fort Hill on the Sabbath than any other day in the week. The 
fact is I do too much work in so short a time. The first cost of 
the Books and papers that I have given away on Fort Hill would 
amount to over $ 150, yet a good knowledge of the Bible reduced 
to practice, is worth more than all of them, and I hope the time is 
near when every family will have and read it. It would prove a 
powerful agent in family government ; without it children are fre- 
quently punished with unreasonable severity, causing alienation and 
hatred. The effect is bad, like successive tempests upon the naked 
oak, if not uptorn in the strife, prepares itself by deeper root for 
the next contest. I have thus far labored (with some exceptions,) 
single handed; and the good already done, and the evil prevented, 
is to me a great satisfaction. But if I am obliged to relinguish this 
work for want of more time and means I hope some one better qual- 
ified will assume the dut^. 

MARCUS LATHAM. 



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